Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. –Jim Ryun
Motivation and Red Bull are alike to begin with. Isn’t it. Both are amazing. They both give you the needed push to get started on something (no matter what that something is). And interestingly this initial energy doesn’t lasts forever. The game of real life begins. You start to see the day and night and all that ups and downs giving you the space to create the excuses to drop things and get distracted onto other firefighting things while skipping the important stuff. So what’s next?
Think about it. When the new year comes (generally when we make resolutions) you may decide to take up running a full marathon and seeing yourself getting cheered by the crowd. Normal. You start hard, you keep going for a few days or weeks and then something or other comes up and you give one miss then tow miss and then few more misses before it’s out of your way. But what keeps you lacing up your shoes on those cold, rainy mornings? It’s the habit you’ve built—maybe setting out your running gear the night before or having a consistent schedule that doesn’t leave room for excuses.
Jim Ryun’s quote nails it: motivation lights the spark, but habits keep the fire burning. The beauty of habits is that they don’t need constant willpower. They run on autopilot once they’re part of your routine. Want to eat healthier? Start by adding one extra vegetable to your meals. Small, consistent actions add up to big wins over time.
So the next time your motivation dips, remember this: you don’t need to feel inspired to keep going. Just lean on your habits—they’ll carry you through.
Empowering Tip: Prepare your to-do list for tomorrow, today.
